Welcome to my stop for The Thirteenth Gate book tour! I’ve been pumped for this book for what feels like ages and I’m thrilled to be a part of this tour. Below you’ll find my review, a giveaway (a signed print copy of the first book, The Daemoniac), and a bit about the author. Be sure to check out the giveaway (a signed print copy of the first book, The Daemoniac) and take a look at the rest of the tour here.
|+| Warnings: Death, violence, mild language, mild sexual situations |+|
“[…] monsters are real, Harry. It’s just that some of them are perfectly human.” ~John
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Author: Kat Ross
Genre: YA Historical, Mystery, Paranormal
Synopsis: Winter 1888. At an asylum in the English countryside, a man suspected of being Jack the Ripper kills an orderly and flees into the rain-soaked night. His distraught keepers summon the Lady Vivienne Cumberland—who’s interviewed their patient and isn’t sure he’s a man at all. An enigmatic woman who guards her own secrets closely, Lady Vivienne knows a creature from the underworld when she sees one. And he’s the most dangerous she’s ever encountered.
As Jack rampages through London, Lady Vivienne begins to suspect what he’s searching for. And if he finds it, the doors to purgatory will be thrown wide open…
Across the Atlantic, an archaeologist is brutally murdered after a Christmas Eve gala at the American Museum of Natural History. Certain peculiar aspects of the crime attract the interest of the Society for Psychical Research and its newest investigator, Harrison Fearing Pell. Is Dr. Sabelline’s death related to his recent dig in Alexandria? Or is the motive something darker?
As Harry uncovers troubling connections to a serial murder case she’d believed was definitively solved, two mysteries converge amid the grit and glamor of Gilded Age New York. Harry and Lady Vivienne must join forces to stop an ancient evil. The key is something called the Thirteenth Gate. But where is it? And more importantly, who will find it first?
My Opinion: If y’all aren’t familiar with my review for the first book in the series, check it out here. I adored it. This sequel somehow managed to match it. With a diverse cast, wonderful representation, and a stunning plot I gave this book four stars.
I’ll start with the two things that frustrated me. The first is that there is a plethora of characters that were sometimes introduced too close together. I had to go back and re-read to make sure that I had gotten all the names right. This book is filled with suspects and interesting people, but keeping up with them all was a bit of a challenge. I also wanted to see more of Harry and John. I fell in love with their friendship and was a bit bummed to find that most of the book focused around Lady Vivienne and her partner Alec.
Onto what I liked. As I already mentioned, we met a lot of new characters. Of the new folks my favorites were Vivienne, Alec and Count Kohary. As with the first book Ross delivers detailed characters, and I loved seeing the connections between everyone. Another big selling point for me with this book was the diversity. Vivienne is not a native to London and I really enjoyed seeing how she carried herself despite the racism thrown her way. This element was treated with accuracy but also with respect.
Most of all I was impressed with how well this book wove into the mystery of its predecessor and expanded on an already well established world. I was in awe realizing how many little details I missed in The Daemoniac and how beautifully they tied into The Thirteenth Gate. Watching the two mysteries the groups were trying to solve come together was really enjoyable and kept me on the edge of my seat.
If you’re looking for historical fiction with fantastical elements, The Thirteenth Gate is the way to go. If you enjoyed the first book in the series, the sequel is a must read.
TL;DR: What I loved about The Daemoniac was back in full force in The Thirteenth Gate. A diverse cast, fantastic world building and an entrancing mystery made this book a delight. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, especially historical fiction with a paranormal element, this series is not to be missed.
About the Author:
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Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.
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